Ev

That’s great to see you have already been in contact with PFT they are very knowledgeable about all things involving the growing of trees. Your idea of including Blackwood is a good one, there has been a few trails in both the North East and South for using Blackwood as a second species for mixed plantations and one of the issues is they tend to be very limbey (no clean stem for future sawlog)

I also agree with you about being "content" I'm happy to say that my family is very content with working in a great industry which has provided us with the ability to have a comfortable family home, yes I guess with items you would call "junk but my view is when we brought our new fridge that in turn was helping to provide a job for some one else, just like contributing to a good super fund as I'm sure you would be happy knowing that some of your money is helping to provide job opportunities for fellow Aussies.

Also thanks for the tip about web addresses

Great to see people are getting involved in managing their own forests for long term timber production.

It is becoming important for land owners large and small I know of many small farmers that now manage their farms forest for a range of values including timber. Tree farming is also providing another string to maintaining farm economy. Also large land owners are totally committed to the extent of developing Forest Management policies for their land one such is Tasmanian company Gunns Ltd http://www.gunns.com.au/downloads/FMS_10_LR.pdf

Gunns forested land and it's extensive tree farms are managed with conservation as important along with managing for a broad range of timber products such as sawn timber and high quality veneer as well as pulp and paper products.

A great example of balancing the productivity of land with conservation needs

Timberjack,
About Christianity:
Luke 12:16-26
16Then He told them a parable, saying, The land of a rich man was fertile and yielded plentifully.
17And he considered and debated within himself, What shall I do? I have no place [in which] to gather together my harvest.
18And he said, I will do this: I will pull down my storehouses and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain or produce and my goods.
19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many good things laid up, [enough] for many years. Take your ease; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself merrily.
20But God said to him, You fool! This very night they [the messengers of God] will demand your soul of you; and all the things that you have prepared, whose will they be?
21So it is with the one who continues to lay up and hoard possessions for himself and is not rich [in his relation] to God [this is how he fares].
22And [Jesus] said to His disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious and troubled [with cares] about your life, as to what you will [have to] eat; or about your body, as to what you will [have to] wear.
23For life is more than food, and the body [more] than clothes.
24Observe and consider the ravens [or kurrawongs]; for they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn; and [yet] God feeds them. Of how much more worth are you than the birds!
25And which of you by being overly anxious and troubled with cares can add a cubit to his stature or a moment of time to his age [the length of his life]?
26If then you are not able to do such a little thing as that, why are you anxious and troubled with cares about the rest?

Ev
Good you have mention Christianity, as a follower I take great comfort that Joseph was a carpenter and a gentleman call Nora build a boat called the Ark, from tell me if I'm wrong, a renewable resource called wood.

Also am I correct that countless places of worship throughout our great country are excellent examples of the beauty, strength and durability of sawn timber harvested from our abundant native forests

Yes our forests do provide for all needs, including spiritual and most important the material needs for spiritual worship to take place.

Then you've probably read this one too, Timberjack:
Mark 10:17-25
And as He was setting out on His journey, a man ran up and knelt before Him and asked Him, Teacher, You are [essentially and perfectly morally] good, what must I do to inherit eternal life?
And Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me [essentially and perfectly morally] good? There is no one [essentially and perfectly morally] good - except God alone.
You know the commandments: Do not kill, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.
And he replied to Him, Teacher, I have carefully guarded and observed all these and taken care not to violate them from my boyhood.
And Jesus, looking upon him, loved him, and He said to him, You lack one thing; go and sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come [and] accompany Me.
At that saying the man's countenance fell and was gloomy, and he went away grieved and sorrowing, for he was holding great possessions.
And Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, With what difficulty will those who possess wealth and keep on holding it enter the kingdom of God!
And the disciples were amazed and bewildered and perplexed at His words. But Jesus said to them again, Children, how hard it is for those who trust [place their confidence, their sense of safety] in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

By the way, may I ask what your job is? I'm guessing that your not a timberjack, but that's just a guess.

I grew up on a farm on the edge of a massive State Forest Radiata plantation, where we grew AAA Merino wool and a variety of crops. The old man at one time worked at the local mill and also made timber furniture and enjoyed woodcarving.

Ev

Your quotes are very inspiring they add greatly to my personal happiness and career comfort in that Joseph was a carpenter.

I'm more than happy to share with you my pride of being a member of a timber family.

Why timber jack? well I owned one, a Timber Jack 23AP cable log skidder, also been a faller, contract log barker loader driver, timber racker, truck driver, contract seed collector also not bad on a pick and shovel (got be sand though) have also split the odd fence post or two (with good straight grained stringy its still fun) and had a go at the odd repair job with a welder (did get the slag to lift once)

Totally agree with you about how valuable local sawmills are, I have close friends that are (what we call in Tas) country sawmillers. A few are still cutting green scantling but most have now “modernized” with kilns to produced dressed timber and moldings and furniture components. Also a couple cut softwood.